5 Reasons Why You Need To Listen To Ian Easton & The Widowmakers

It’s said that our mistakes make for the best stories and Ian Easton & The Widowmakers are here to prove just that with their new album Short Stories. Singer-songwriter Ian Easton is joined by his backing group The Widowmakers, consisting of Dan Parkinson (The Dirty Dead, Kids Can’t Fly), Daniel Morriss (Echotape) and Richie Towerton (The Madisuns, Kurbd) to tell captivating stories of heartbreak, injury and personal discovery.

Read on the find out why you should pick up a copy of Short Stories and discover your new favourite folk band.

Personal Stories

There’s certainly no holding back with the songs on Short Stories, as Ian puts his heart and soul on the line throughout. From ‘What a Picture We Paint’, describing his long recovery from a horrific car accident, to ‘Running’, dedicated to a particular person in his life, it creates a truly personal body of work which can be felt through every note as he draws on his own life experiences. As listeners, we feel like we have been let into his private world, fitting perfectly with the record’s folk and blues sound.

Relatability

Although the songs on this album are extremely personal, many are relatable too. ‘Everyone Knows Everything’ talks about the perils of living in a small town and everyone knowing your business, while ‘Everything I’m Not’ is a beautiful love song. Ian’s ability to create songs which are raw and unique while still making them accessible to everyone is an admirable skill.

Powerful Vocals

Throughout the album, you can feel the emotions attached to each lyric thanks to Ian‘s emotive vocals. It is refreshing to hear a voice that hasn’t been tampered with, and this creates a truly authentic listening experience. His gravelly, ‘real’ voice complements the dreamlike, folk sound of the record perfectly. Whether it’s a slow or uptempo track with acoustic or electric guitars, his vivid prose along with his powerful voice ensure the lyrics come alive.

Source: Emma Hendey

Uplifting Sentiments

Although the songs on Short Stories focus on extremely emotional subjects, that does not mean to say it’s a record full of doom and gloom. ‘Battery Don’t Fail Me Now’ is definitely the most upbeat song on the record, so much so that you can almost feel the sunshine from the trip to Asia he sings about through the speakers. In ‘No Great Thing’ the lyrics “there will come a day I’ll look at this and say everything I did was right” reflect the belief that everything happens for a reason and that great things can grow from bad situations. This album is indeed proof of that!

Brilliant Live Shows

If you ever get the opportunity to see Ian Easton & The Widowmakers live, take it. They frequently perform at festivals and play many intimate venues across the country, where the fantastic songs and stories on this record really come alive. Make sure you check them out on Facebook and Twitter to keep up with future announcements.

If you’re a fan of the likes of Mumford & Sons, Fleet Foxes and Laura Marling, Short Stories will easily become a firm favourite in your collection. It’s set for release on 31st March 2017 and will be available on iTunes, Play, Amazon and Google Play.